Gilberto Veríssimo, ambassador and president of the Commission of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC), said that this year's Luanda Peace Biennial will serve not only to share Angola's experience of peace, but also to highlight the importance of the event.
"The idea is that this Luanda Biennial will not be a punctual act, which takes place every two years in September, but that it will be something that will last through time and September will then be just the highlight of the biennial," he said.
The official, quoted by Rádio Nacional de Angola (RNA), also made it known that CEEAC is working in this framework, in order to "make Angola share its experience of peace, which is unique in the region, with the other peoples of the region.
"We think that the biennial is exactly an instrument that serves for that because if in the framework of the biennial we discuss how to disarm the spirit of war there will no longer be war," he indicated.
Despite covid-19, Gilberto Veríssimo hopes for a "continental biennial", which should surpass the first edition.
For him, the 2019 biennial was "essentially cultural" and "did not have a broad participation from the continent. For this second edition it is expected to be "continental". "We will serve as a link between Angola and the other regions (...) so that everyone will come and participate in the biennial of Luanda".
The Minister of State for the Social Area, Carolina Cerqueira, quoted by Angop, said that "peace, intergenerational dialogue, conflict resolution, national reconciliation and crisis resilience" will be part of the second edition of the biennial.
The theme of this year's biennial will be "Culture, Art and Historical Heritage of Africa", aimed at promoting harmony between the different provinces through the promotion of culture.
The statements made by the head of the event will be presented at a hearing held this Monday between the Minister of State for Social Affairs, Carolina Cerqueira, and a delegation from CEEAC, headed by Gilberto Veríssimo, on the preparations for the Luanda Peace Biennial.
The first edition of the Peace Biennial of Luanda took place in September 2019, in the capital, with about 600 international participants and 16 African countries.
